Wednesday, November 16, 2011

When it comes to all things girly, my daughters' likes and dislikes cover the full spectrum... and seem to vary day by day.

Whereas one day Big Sister E only wants to play with trucks and can't be forced into a dress, the following morning she'll come downstairs in a complete fairy princess outfit and act as if nothing has changed. Ah, to be a kid again!

However, one aspect of girldom that she and Little Sister B have always been completely enamored with is fingernail polish. They've spent years noticing as soon as my toenails or fingernails changed color and would brush their fingers over the paint with their eyes wide. And although I felt guilty each time, the idea of putting the harsh chemicals onto their fingers (which would then end up in their mouth) was something that I just couldn't get past.

Fortunately for them, as well as little girls everywhere, there is a safe, colorful, fun option to use instead with Piggy Paint.

Sharing my dislike for the horrible fumes and nasty chemicals found in most commercial nail polishes, the founder of Piggy Paint decided to do something about it. After seeing her daughter's solvent-based polish eat through a foam plate, she set out to successfully invent a natural, non-toxic, eco-friendly nail polish that is safe for girls of all ages.

After hearing about Piggy Paint's hypoallergenic, odorless formula and how it is gentle enough for sensitive hand and noses, yet dries to a durable, removable finish, I already knew that I would love it. But then I took one look at the huge selection of bright colors (with great names like Forever Fancy and Ice Cream Dream) and there was no doubt that my girls would be thrilled.

The bright, blue shimmer of Tea Party for Two and the vibrant, pumpkin orange of Mac-n-Cheese Please had all of us giggling... and when I told the girls that Project Earth: Radioactive glows in the dark, their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.

Big Sister E, at age 5, was able to sit nicely while I painted her fingernails... whereas Little Sister B, age 2, was a little more restless and squirmy. Although I was able to get her to stay still long enough while I covered each of her little fingernails...

...she just couldn't wait to be done so that she could show them off!

Taking Piggy Paint's advice, we used a hair dryer to help cure and set the polish (as it is water-based and takes a little longer than normal). Little Sister B found that process entertaining enough that I was able to apply another coat of polish in hopes that it would last a little longer.

The end result was extremely cute on her little hands and, even better, when I caught her with her fingers in her mouth a short time later, I wasn't nearly as worried about them being harmful.

The Project Earth: Radioactive proved to be just as fun with the added bonus that it truly does glow in the dark! We found that the more coats of polish applied results in a brighter glow, but no matter what, Big Sister E has had continuous fun running into a dark room to check out her manicure and excitedly reporting back that she can see it with the lights off.

This fun polish has the added bonus of not being overly in-your-face if you'd rather not send your daughter to school with bright orange fingernails sometimes!

I did notice that the consistency of Piggy Paint polish is less thick than traditional polish and I did find that it wore off of my girls' nails quicker than a traditional formula would, but considering that it is as "natural as mud," I find the tradeoff very well worth it. I've also painted my toenails using Piggy Paint and had it last for weeks with barely a chip, so it seems that quite a bit depends on the "use" of the nails.

In all, Piggy Paint is a fantastic way for little ones to be able to have their nails painted as it is free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, biphenyl A, ethyl acetate and acetone... and made in the USA! Not to mention that there is a wide variety of colors for kids and teens (and even a Refined collection for adults) so no matter the age or taste, there is sure to be plenty of options to please.

Retailing for $8.99 for a single bottle, $24.99 for a gift set of three (or two polishes and a bottle of remover), or $8.99 for their new Nail Pens, Piggy Paint would be a great stocking stuffer this holiday season. From now until December 15, their Holiday Gift Sets are on sale for $20 so your little princess will be able to celebrate Christmas, Hannukah or Kwanzaa with a kid-friendly nail polish that is sure to be a hit!

But, wait! Why shop without a discount? From now until November 2012, using the promo code thanksmailcarrier10 and receive an extra 10% off of your order! And, thanks to the generosity of Piggy Paint, one person is going to be able to pick up a great gift for the fancy girl in their life, because...

One lucky person will win a $15 gift certificate to Piggy Paint!

To enter to win: Visit Piggy Paint and tell me what you might purchase with your gift certificate if you win.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Piggy Paint on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

1 Extra Entry (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email, become a fan on Facebook or add Thanks, Mail Carrier to your blogroll.2 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.Giveaway will end on December 7th at 11:59pm CST. By entering this sweepstakes, you are agreeing to these official rules. No purchase necessary, void where prohibited by law. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and must be 18 years of age or older.

A big thank you to Piggy Paint for providing three nail polishes for me to review as well as a $15 gift certificate for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.